§5.37sed ut in magna familia sunt alii lautiores, ut sibi videntur, servi, sed tamen servi, ut atrienses, at qui tractant ista, qui tergent, qui ungunt, qui verrunt, qui spargunt, non honestissimum locum servitutis tenent, sic in civitate, qui se istarum rerum cupiditatibus dediderunt, ipsius servitutis locum paene infimum obtinent.
But just as in a large household there are other more elegant slaves, as they seem to themselves, but still slaves, such as the hall-porters, while those who handle those things, who wipe, who anoint, who sweep, who sprinkle, do not hold the most honorable place of servitude, so in the state, those who have surrendered themselves to the desires for those things obtain almost the lowest place of servitude itself.
"magna"
inquit
"bella gessi, magnis imperiis et provinciis praefui. "
gere igitur animum laude dignum: Aetionis tabula te stupidum detinet aut signum aliquod Polycleti; mitto unde sustuleris, quo modo habeas: intuentem te, admirantem, clamores tollentem cum video, servum esse ineptiarum omnium iudico.
"I have waged," he says, "great wars, and I have been in command of great offices and provinces." Conduct then a mind worthy of praise: a picture of Aetion or some statue of Polyclitus detains you in a stupor; I pass over whence you took it, how you have it: when I see you looking at it, admiring it, lifting up cries, I judge you to be a slave of all follies.
§5.38"nonne igitur sunt illa festiva?"
sunt; nam nos quoque oculos eruditos habemus.
"Are those things not, then, delightful?" They are; for we also have educated eyes.
sed, obsecro te, ita venusta habeantur ista, non ut vincla virorum sint, sed ut oblectamenta puerorum.
But, I beseech you, let those things be held so charming, not so as to be the chains of men, but as the playthings of boys.
quid enim censes? si L. Mummius aliquem istorum videret matellionem Corinthium cupidissime tractantem, cum ipse totam Corinthum contempsisset, utrum illum civem excellentem an atriensem diligentem putaret? revivescat M'. Curius aut eorum aliquis, quorum in villa ac domo nihil splendidum, nihil ornatum fuit praeter ipsos, et videat aliquem summis populi beneficiis usum barbatulos mullos exceptantem de piscina et pertractantem et murenarum copia gloriantem, nonne hunc hominem ita servum iudicet, ut ne in familia quidem dignum maiore aliquo negotio putet?
For what do you think? If L. Mummius saw one of them handling a Corinthian chamber-pot with the greatest eagerness, when he himself had despised all Corinth, would he think him an excellent citizen or a diligent hall-porter? Let M'. Curius come back to life, or one of those in whose villa and house there was nothing splendid, nothing adorned except themselves, and let him see someone who has enjoyed the highest favors of the people catching bearded mullets out of a fishpond, handling them, and boasting of his abundance of moray eels, would he not judge this man to be such a slave that he would not think him worthy of any larger business even in his household?
§5.39an eorum servitus dubia est, qui cupiditate peculii nullam condicionem recusant durissimae servitutis? hereditatis spes quid iniquitatis in serviendo non suscipit? quem nutum locupletis orbi senis non observat? loquitur ad voluntatem, quicquid denuntiatum est facit, adsectatur, adsidet, muneratur.
Or is the servitude of those doubtful, who out of desire for a private property refuse no condition of the harshest servitude? What injustice does the hope of an inheritance not undertake in serving? What nod of a wealthy, childless old man does he not observe? He speaks to his wish, does whatever is commanded, attends him, sits by him, makes him presents.
quid horum est liberi?
Which of these things is of a free man?
§5.40quid denique servi non inertis? quid? iam illa cupiditas, quae videtur esse liberalior, honoris, imperii, provinciarum, quam dura est domina, quam imperiosa, quam vehemens! Cethego, homini non probatissimo, servire coegit eos, qui sibi esse amplissimi videbantur, munera mittere, noctu venire domum ad eum, precari, denique supplicare.
What, finally, is not of an active slave? What? Now that desire, which seems to be more honorable, for honor, command, and provinces, how harsh a mistress she is, how imperious, how vehement! It forced those who seemed to themselves to be most eminent to serve Cethegus, a man not at all approved, to send him presents, to come to his house at night, to entreat, and finally to supplicate.
quae servitus est, si haec libertas existimari potest? quid? cum cupiditatis dominatus excessit et alius est dominus exortus ex conscientia peccatorum, timor, quam est illa misera, quam dura servitus? adulescentibus paulo loquacioribus est serviendum; omnes, qui aliquid scire videntur, tamquam domini timentur;
What servitude is this, if this can be thought liberty? What? When the dominion of desire has departed, and another master has arisen from the consciousness of sins, fear, how wretched, how harsh is that servitude? One must serve slightly loquacious youths; all who seem to know something are feared as masters; and how great a dominion does a judge have, with what fear does he affect the guilty!
iudex vero quantum habet dominatum, quo timore nocentis adficiti an non est omnis metus servitus?
Or is not all fear servitude?
§5.41quid valet igitur illa eloquentissimi viri, L. Crassi, copiosa magis quam sapiens oratio
"eripite nos ex servitute"
? quae est ista servitus tam claro homini tamque nobili? omnis animi debilitati et humilis et fracti timiditas servitus est.
What force, then, has that speech of L. Crassus, a most eloquent man, more copious than wise: "Rescue us from servitude"? What is that servitude to so famous and so noble a man? All timidity of a weakened, humble, and broken mind is servitude.
"nolite sinere nos cuiquam servire. "
in libertatem vindicari volt? minime;
"Do not allow us to serve anyone." Does he wish to be vindicated into liberty?
quid enim adiungit?
"nisi vobis universis.
Not at all; for what does he add?
"
dominum mutare, non liber esse volt.
"Except you all together." He wishes to change his master, not to be free.
"quibus et possumus et debemus. "
nos vero, si quidem animo excelso et alto et virtutibus exaggerato sumus, nec debemus nec possumus: tu posse te dicito, quoniam quidem potes, debere ne dixeris, quoniam nihil quisquam debet nisi quod est turpe non reddere.
"To whom we both can and ought." But we indeed, if we are of a lofty and high mind and enriched with virtues, neither ought nor can: say that you can, since indeed you can; do not say that you ought, since no one owes anything except what is shameful not to return.
sed haec hactenus.
But so far concerning these things.
ille videat, quo modo imperator esse possit, cum eum ne liberum quidem esse ratio et veritas ipsa convincat.
Let him see how he can be a general, when reason and truth itself convince him that he is not even free.